Monday, October 22, 2012

The Van Cortlandt faithful gathered at our usual meeting place, which is near the ranger station across from the parade grounds. The conditions were foggy, so it presented a good opportunity to scan the fields for any birds that might have put down to feed and rest. I did spot a few American Pipits on the field, but unfortunately activities in the form of cross country runners put them up before the group was able to get them in the scope. Nevertheless, we did manage a few Savannah Sparrows and counted the Canada Geese while searching for anything outside the norm in the flock.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Instead of birding the lake, I took the group to the restoration meadow, an area behind the Van Cortlandt Museum/Mansion. That move paid dividends and we were able to get really fine looks at several birds, including Orange-crowned Warbler(Oreothlypis celata), Lincoln Sparrow(Melospiza lincolnii), Field Sparrow(Spizella pusilla) and several Swamp Sparrows(Melospiza georgiana) who put on quite a show.

Swamp Sparrow

Despite the paltry showing of birds, our group had a good time walking around the lake and picking up whatever birds that were around. We ended our walk back at the parade grounds where we picked up several Savannah Sparrows and Ring-billed Gulls to end our walk. Here is our complete species list of the 41 birds seen.